This invention relates generally to wire mesh containers and, more particularly, to wire mesh containers commonly known as gabions.
Typical gabions are baskets formed with wire mesh panels having interstices of about 3-4 inches. After being assembled at a construction site, the baskets are filled with stone of about 4-8 inches in diameter and laced together in suitable arrays. Such gabion assemblies are employed to create various structures including bridge abutments, retaining walls, channel linings, riverbank aprons, culvert headwalls, gravity walls, jetties, revetments, dams, sea walls, weirs and noise barriers.
Although quite versatile, conventional gabions exhibit certain disadvantages which restrict their use. For example, assembly of gabion panels at a construction site generally entails use of spiral fasteners, hog rings or tie wires. Each of these fastening methods is highly labor intensive and adds significantly to the cost of a final structure. In addition, the joints created by existing fastening methods often are deficient resulting in undesirable bulging of the filled gabion baskets.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved wire mesh container which obviates problems associated with conventional gabions.